Smoking Weed and Coronavirus... EAT EDIBLES!!!!

Despite the spotty science, all the experts Elemental spoke with advised against smoking and vaping cannabis or tobacco during the coronavirus epidemic. The National Institute on Drug Abuse cautions that “because it attacks the lungs, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 could be an especially serious threat to those who smoke tobacco or marijuana or who vape.”
So what are your options if you’re looking for a more responsible cannabis high?
Cannabis nurse Jessie Gill, RN, who works with many medical cannabis patients, says edibles are an excellent choice that won’t affect the lungs. Under the edibles umbrella, there’s plenty to choose from: gummies, candies, mints, cookies, and even some drinks. Tinctures are another option.
With any of these ingestion methods, follow the motto “start low and go slow” if you’re an edible newbie. Gill suggests beginning with a very low dosage, seeing how it affects you, and waiting two hours before taking more.
Here are the caveats: First, for medical patients (or people who aren’t technically medical patients but use cannabis for a condition), different methods of consumption can cause different therapeutic effects, or lack thereof, according to Gill. “Some patients might not achieve the same symptom relief from another delivery method,” she says. Not everyone can process cannabinoids that are consumed orally, which means edibles wouldn’t have the same symptom-relieving effect as smoking would, for example. Gill says this is most often seen in people with digestive disorders.
Second, there’s an accessibility issue. Boehnke says he wants to “be realistic” and acknowledge that not everybody has access to legal, regulated, safe edibles.
If you must inhale your cannabis, Gill and Boehnke agree that the safest method is using a dry herb vaporizer. Not to be confused with your typical cannabis vape, which usually uses an oil cartridge and contains various other chemicals and additives, a dry herb vaporizer uses cannabis buds or flowers.
The device has a compartment for you to put your herb in. It heats up the flower, and then you’re ready to go. Boehnke says the dry herb vaporizer does not combust the cannabis, so it doesn’t cause the same damage as a joint would, for example. Gill adds that these vaporizers use a lower temperature than smoking, which reduces the risk of tissue damage.